Many flagships these days don’t offer any element of surprise. This can be both a good and a bad thing. But when it comes to phones from brands like Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus, that may be exactly what a large chunk of users are paying the premium for. The latest OnePlus phones across all price ranges have played on this narrative, of being the phone that ticks all the boxes, even if it lacks the kind of frills that put flagships on the pedestal they stand on. always.
The OnePlus 9RT is the latest from the company and the first in a year where there could be a lot of changes in how this brand projects itself to its customers. However, this is a phone that carries the OnePlus heritage very firmly on its shoulders and knows what customers expect when they buy in the sign of the cross on the corner of the box.
OnePlus 9RT: what’s good
From the long red box to the first sight of the dark device inside, covered in plastic paper, everything about the OnePlus 9RT had a familiar feel about it. But still, when I flipped the phone over to see the Hacker Black back panel, I was pleasantly surprised… it’s the kind of color I love and the kind of color that made me love it, so than millions of others, to this brand when it first appeared. the scene.
The Hacker Black color with the matte finish is what endeared me and millions of others to this brand. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
While the overall look of the phone reminded me of some recent Samsung phones, it was still OnePlus, from the bold camera bump on the back to the alert slider on the right. The phone feels great in the hand and the matte finish on the back ensures you won’t leave any fingerprints behind. It’s also the right weight.
As always, this OnePlus also has a display that makes a statement. The OnePlus 9RT has a vibrant and sharp 120Hz display. The screen is light sensitive and adjusts to give the best brightness, or dimming, for a given situation. There are display modes that let you choose the kind of feel you really like – I opted for the cinematic mode which is warmer and ideal for watching videos.
The OnePlus 9RT features a dynamic light-sensitive display with a 120Hz refresh rate. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajn/Indian Express)
Performance has never been an issue with OnePlus phones. With the 9RT, you’re buying a high-end processor that’s also upgradable with 5G. With everything I did during the test period of about a week, the phone was more than stable and seemed to demand more.
In fact, the phone stayed cool during 4K video recording and even long periods of browsing video rigs and gaming. While all of this is great for regular users, this phone also has plenty of offerings for power users, especially those who want to push the phone to its limits with their gaming sessions.
The OnePlus 9RT manages to stay cool during 4K recording and when playing RAM-heavy games. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
In fact, the OnePlus 9RT has a lot to offer gamers, from RAM optimization to superb touch sensitivity. In fact, when playing a game like Hungry Shark, I could just swipe my fingers across the screen without even having to tap to make the fish move or dive.
One of the reasons people will buy the OnePlus 9RT over more affordable rivals is because of the confidence they have in the camera. With the 9RT, OnePlus has added muscle to the camera.
The OnePlus 9RT has added some serious camera muscle, sporting a triple camera setup – 50MP, 16MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
For starters, the 50MP main camera clicks out some really good images, especially in low light. The relatively larger sensor size of this one helps to ensure that images have good detail even if taken at night. The image of a shepherd’s pie my wife cooked last Sunday, photographed by candlelight, shows the different shades in which the cheese was cooked.
50MP main camera sample shot on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Peering down at the silver plant in a long vase, the camera is good enough to capture the dust on the leaf below.
50MP main camera sample shot on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
50MP main camera sample shot on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
In 16MP ultra-wide mode, low-light performance tends to be a bit lower, but the 123-degree field of view means you can capture some images that will stand out. I especially liked how the camera captured the same silver plant vase, but with a whole new perspective.
16MP ultra-wide sample shot on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
16MP ultra-wide sample shot on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Example low light image taken on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
Example low light image taken on OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The macro camera is also good, but suffers from burn-in issues in certain lighting. It is therefore necessary to be precise when framing. A guided mode can be useful here. But a photo of my bonsai roots highlights what this camera is capable of, in the right hands.
Sample 2MP macro shot n OnePlus 9RT. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
I was also impressed with the front camera, which clicked some really good selfies without sacrificing naturalness. Yes, you can edit them on the camera app, but the base image itself is pretty good.
However, where the camera really pushes itself is with video. With image stabilization and HDR, this main camera handles stunning clips even in low light. The camera manages to retain most of the detail, and the autofocus acts like it’s a handy camera and not a smartphone.
There’s more, like high-res mode where the camera captures the image at over 100MP but scales up as you shoot. It’s a good replacement for zoom if you’re cropping the part of the image you want to zoom in on. While the generated image was over 29MB if saved in one second and there was no noticeable lag. But you will need a google drive to send it somewhere.
High resolution mode is a good replacement for zoom, as long as you are cropping part of the image. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The Oxygen OS version on the 9RT has some great tweaks that help you do more without compromising the usability of pure Android. There aren’t many new tweaks, but one thing that caught my eye is the canvas option that turns any portrait into a line art for wallpaper. Then there is a video amplifier which improves the output quality using AI.
The Oxygen OS version on the 9RT has a few tweaks, including a canvas option that turns any portrait image into a line art. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The battery lasts nearly 36 hours with regular use and can be recharged in less than an hour. While everyone is talking about super-fast charging, OnePlus seems content with what its 65W Warp Charger achieves, and rightly so.
OnePlus 9RT: what’s not so good
Well, there’s nothing that strikes you as badly about this phone. But again, there are no big surprises to wow you with what OnePlus has done with its new flagship…maybe we have to wait for the OnePlus 10 to get that effect.
OnePlus 9RT: Should you buy?
Yes, if you’re on an older version of the OnePlus or another Android phone and fancy an upgrade that will take you to the next level. If you’re looking for an Android with a flagship experience, then the OnePlus 9RT is up there among the best options as a phone that ticks all the boxes but doesn’t break the bank in the process.
